How to Do Vibrato on a Cello

Last Updated: November 2, 2021

Have you ever listened to a cellist play The Swan and wondered, "Just how do they get that beautiful vibrato?" Vibrato is an essential part of all cello playing which many people, even those who are advanced, do not know how to properly control. Well, now you can learn by just reading below!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:
Natural Motion

1
Learn the motion. Vibrato comes from the up and down motion of the arm, not from the rotation of the wrist or hand, but you do want the arm to rotate (this is different from the violin or viola). This motion is similar to opening a jar, and then closing it quickly. It is very helpful to learn this away from the cello before applying it.^{[1]
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2
Use a prop before using the cello. To learn the motion of vibrato, it is helpful to use a film canister to serve as a rattler.
- Fill a film canister or a pillbox with pebbles, rice, or anything else that will rattle. ^{[2]
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- Simply hold this in your left hand. Then support your elbow as if you were playing the cello, and move your hand up and down vertically as if you were hitting something. At the same time, twist your wrist back and forth. It can also help to hold your right hand across your body and practice on your wrist.
- Do this for 10 minutes a day until it feels natural. It may take several days. Don't be discouraged if it takes longer, vibrato is the type of thing you can practice for months before it "clicks."
- Practice a lot. To help with control, try making this motion faster/slower, and wider/narrower. When you feel comfortable, transfer back to the cello again.
3
Apply the motion. Now, apply this motion to your practice, of scales especially, until it becomes a natural motion. Try playing a scale first with one vibrato (maybe slow and wide), then try again playing it another way (fast and wide), then another and so on.^{[3]
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- When first applying vibrato to your playing, try only using it on scales at first. Scales are simple so it is easier to concentrate on getting the correct motion.
4
Control the motion. Be able to get a whole variety of different vibratos from wide and slow to narrow and fast. Vibrato should not just be an on/off motion. Different characters require different vibratos.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:
The Glissando

1
Put your thumb behind the fingerboard and put you middle finger on a note. Start with you middle finger, because that is an easy one. ^{[4]
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2
Slowly use a glissando between the notes but not too much. Glissando means sliding and to move to the next note of the scale instead of picking up your finger.
3
Practice doing this faster. Keep at it until it sounds good.^{[5]
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Community Q&A

Question

I can do it on all fingers except my first finger. How can I change that?

Community Answer

Just keep practicing, and don't be discouraged.
Question

My fingers can not get open enough to make all the notes. How do I fix this problem?

Community Answer

Your cello could be too large for you. Try going down a size if you're stretching as much as you can and still can't reach the notes. If it's just a little difficult to do this, keep practicing and eventually you'll get used to it.

Warnings

Take your time! Learning vibrato wrong is extremely hard to undo. It will take much longer to undo improperly-learned vibrato and relearn it than it will to just take your time and learn it correctly.

Thanks!
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If your arm starts hurting, take a break. Tendinitis is not fun.

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